Liberating Rain
by obsidianLight16
Summary: Pein didn't realize how much he was keeping his fellow members away from the outside world- until a storm did it for him.


**A/N: I was on a writing spree this morning. This one has a more mellow feel to it. **

**Warning: Language, OOC with everyone _but _Pein, and whatever else you find needs one. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own the rights :P**

**^v6**

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><p>Pein stood outside the front of the Akatsuki base in the rain, a large black umbrella opened above his head and an exasperated look on his face. They had been in the middle of a very important meeting on financial funds and business dealings, when a loud boom of thunder shook the room, followed by a bright flash.<p>

~X~

"A storm…?" Kakuzu looked up from where he had been dozing off.

"A big fuckin' storm," Hidan grunted, feet up on the meeting table.

Kisame frowned. "The weather man lied."

"The weather man always lies," Itachi replied in a bored tone.

"That's why Tobi doesn't watch T.V. anymore," Madara said in a cheerful tone beneath his mask. He would talk about anything to get away from the boredom that was sitting in a room for hours on end.

"When are we getting a new television set anyway?" Zetsu asked from the corner of the room. **"This one keeps shutting off on its own."**

"That's just because Kakuzu messes around with the satellite dish un," Deidara said.

"I knew it!" Kisame cried, pointing an accusing finger at their medic nin. "I missed good stuff because of you!"

"Oh pipe down," Kakuzu muttered. "Cable costs us too much money."

"So do your daily doctor appointments fucker," Hidan scowled. "But you don't see us complaining."

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. "Shut up Hidan."

"Alright everyone," Pein said, not looking up from the stack of papers in front of him, reading glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Enough chatter. We have business to discuss."

Sasori slowly blinked. "What were we even talking about?"

"Cable…I think," Konan said in a confused voice which quite clearly gave away that she wasn't paying attention either.

Pein sighed, rubbing his brow. "You guys…" he started to say.

A loud rumble of thunder cut him off, causing everyone's eyes to go to the ceiling.

Then Deidara excitedly stood, grinning and startling them all. "Let's go out and play un!"

There had been a long moment of silence. And then-

"HELL YEAH!" Hidan cheered, already halfway out the meeting door.

It didn't take long for the rest to follow.

Fresh air at last!

~X~

Now Pein cared for all his member dearly and had their best interest in mind at all times, but wanting to go out and play around in the rain like a bunch of kids was not something he expected. Even Konan and Madara were running about like a pair of giddy teens. It was as if the rain had wiped away all manners of professionalism from his members and replaced them with a crowd of energetic kids who had been yearning for freedom.

True he had made it a rule that they weren't allowed to wander around outside too much on their own, but was this really the result?

Pein shook his head to himself.

The storm had grown considerably worse, with lightning flashing across the sky every few seconds. But none of the Akatsuki looked concerned by the rumbling thunder or near death experiences in the slightest bit.

It seemed like they were more occupied with playing tag.

Only with kunai and jutsus in place of their hands.

"Katsu!"

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

There were several loud explosions, blasts of fire, and paper arsenals swooping in and out of the clouds of smoke made. With everyone slipping and sliding in the mud with all sense of balance gone, it looked more like a battlefield than a friendly kid's game. Especially when they started to knock each other down and throw them across the field.

The game of 'tag' ended when everyone had been slammed to the ground with Kakuzu's tentacles and rendered unable to move.

Kakuzu released them all with a large grin beneath his mask, opting to run away when Sasori and Zetsu started to chase him. Konan stayed with Madara to help him and his Tobi persona build a mudman.

On the other side of the clearing, Deidara had jumped on Kisame's back, eagerly directing him towards a tree at the top of the hill. Behind them Itachi, riding on Hidan's shoulder, playfully kicked a foot at the blonde. Deidara stuck out his bottom lip before swatting back, succeeding in tumbling backwards off Kisame and landing with a face full of mud.

The three around him stared in something akin to shock before bursting out laughing.

"How's the weather down there?" Hidan snickered.

Itachi smirked.

Deidara rolled over and glared at them until Kisame offered a hand. Then Deidara pulled him down with him and started laughing as he and the older man started to wrestle. Itachi grinned at the display before yanking on the back of Hidan's hair and causing them to both stumble over and join the tackling fray into the soggy ground.

And then out of no where, a giant mud ball went flying towards the group of four, nailing Kisame right in the head.

The shark nin looked up to see a grinning Konan and smirking Sasori tossing more mud clumps up and down in their hands.

"FIGHT!" Hidan yelled, picking up a handful of mud and throwing it at Konan.

Konan dodged, pegging some right back at him. Hidan ducked, allowing Itachi to get smacked in the face.

Itachi pushed to his feet, wiping the mud from his cheeks with a sadistic smile.

Everyone took one look at him.

And started to run in the opposite direction.

Except for Deidara. He was laughing too hard to notice the impeding danger that was Itachi stalking over to him.

Sasori paused in the middle of his escape, whirling around to shout out a warning. "Move brat!"

Deidara blinked, looking over his shoulder.

It was too late. Itachi had already lunged, starting to tickle the blonde. "No escape," he warned.

"N-No! Stop it un!" Deidara managed to get out before bursting out laughing.

"Blondie's gone fucking down!" Hidan hollered.

Kisame decided to help by summoning a giant tidal wave and knocking them all over.

Everyone's screams and squeals echoed throughout the clearing as they were caught up in the waves and carried into one another.

They then got involved in a game of chicken.

Partners vs. Partners.

Zetsu and Madara won in the end, but only because everyone's hands kept going through Madara's body.

"No fair!" Hidan shouted at the victorious pair. "That's _so _cheating!"

"Sore loser," Zetsu snickered. **"Can't take a blow to his pride."**

"What? Fuck you man!" Hidan exclaimed, charging at the plant man.

And after that the group was pulled into yet another game of 'tag', full of the same explosions and weapons as last time.

~X~

About thirty minutes later, they all seemed to have enough of Mother Nature and each other, gathering together before heading towards a less-than amused Pein.

Pein stared at them from under his umbrella. "What? Have you nothing to say now?"

"Um…" Kisame scratched the back of his muddy hair, looking at the others around him. "We're done?"

Pein sighed at the group of dripping and sniffling S-class shinobi in front of him. "Unbelievable…" He turned and waved them inside. "Go get cleaned up and pick a movie. I'll make the hot chocolate."

They group exchanged identical grins before running past their leader to get changed. They knew that by tomorrow they would be back to work, barely seeing one another and out in other countries taking care of their own missions. They'd never admit it aloud- but sometimes Akatsuki could be lonely.

And Pein was well aware of this.

That's why he supposed it was alright for his members to act like children at times.

After all, even criminals needed a breath of freedom.

Madara paused before he entered the base, looking over his shoulder at Pein. "Next time you should join us. It was…interesting," he said, and then turned to meet up with everyone else.

Pein watched the powerful man go and then sighed, hanging his head slightly.

He…supposed it was alright for him to let loose sometimes too.

Besides...

That game of tag looked kind of fun.

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><p><strong>AN: ...Nothing much to say really. **

**I just hope you liked it :]**


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